This invention relates generally to combustion systems for use with gas turbine engines, and, more specifically, to fuel nozzles used with gas turbine engines.
At least some known fuel nozzle assemblies used with gas turbine engines are assembled from a plurality of components, which, when fully assembled, form a one-piece fuel nozzle assembly. Known multi-piece fuel nozzles include a body portion and a sleeve portion. Because many components are coupled together, to prevent fluids from undesirably leaking from the nozzle assembly, at least some known nozzle assemblies include a plurality of seals between the components coupled together. More specifically, at least some known fuel nozzle assemblies use body-to-sleeve seals, water lip seals, diffusion lip seals, and/or piston seals. Despite their intended effectiveness, each seal may still be a potential leak area when exposed to pressurized fluids slowing through the nozzle assemblies or when subjected to high temperatures in the combustion systems of the gas turbine engine. Moreover, fuel nozzle assemblies having many components generally require more time and costs to fabricate and assemble than assemblies within the gas turbine engine that include few components.